Apparatus for raising water.



Patented July l5; 1902.

G. n. Yn'uma & c. s'HAw. APPARATUS' FOR RAISING WATER.

(Application led Nov. 23, 1898.)

WITNESS/E5 /f M j@ y f [N VEN T ORS w: mams PETERS cn wom-umnWASHINGTON, o c.'

Unrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE R. YOUNG, OF RIDGEVOOD, NEW JERSEY, AND CLIFFORD SHAV,

OF NEY YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORS TO THE BACON AIR' LIFT COMPANY, A

CORPORATION OF NEV JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR RAISING WATER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 704,608, elated July15, 1902.

Application filed November Z3, 1898. Serial No. 697,263. (No model.)

T (MZ Vw/to'nz, t 717,503/ concern,.-

Be it known that we, GEORGE R. YOUNG, residing at Ridgewood, in theState of New Jersey, and CLTFFORD SHAW residing at New York, in theState of NewY York, have in- Vented certain new and useful Improvementsin Apparatus for Raising Water, of which the following is a description,referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of 1o thisspecification.

The object of the invention is to facilitate the raising of water fromwells in a highly efficient manner by means of the air-lift or aeratedcolumn.

I5 Water has heretofore been raised by introducing air into the columnof waterwithin a submerged uptake-pipe, whereby the hydrostatic balanceis disturbed and the surrounding water forces the aerated column upward2o in the uptake, the possible elevation depending on the amount of airintroduced and on other hydrostatic principles Well known to thoseskilled in this art. The invention to be set forth in this applicationrelates to such system, and this application constitutes a continuationof our applications, No. 636,180, filed May 12, 1897, and No. 660,073,iiled No-I vember 29, 1897, for the purpose vof including in a singlepatent the claims of both 3o applications and of remedying inadvertentdefects in such claims which might otherwise have necessitated areissue.

The nature of the invention will readily be understood from theillustration of a pre- 3 5 ferred form of it as given in theaccompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic 'plan View, and Fig. 2 an illustrativesection.

In both the figures the same characters Aof 4e reference refer to thesame or to similar parts.

In many'instances a number or gang of supply-wells are necessary tocollect the desired amount of Water, and it is frequently inexpedient,as well as expensive, to sink such wells to any great depth.Furthermore, it is frequently necessary to raise the water to aconsiderable height above the level of the source of supply, and to dothis by the air-lift requires a correspondingly great depth for theaerated column below the Water-level. 5o The present invention isparticularly well adapted to both these requirements, espeoially so ifthe water has also to be carried some distance horizontally from theWells before its final delivery. Where all these requirements are to bemet by the present invention, the supply-wells are to be sunk to suchdepth only as may serve to allow the raising of the water above ground,and the Water from all the supply-wells is delivered 6o to a deep wellor pit D, which, with its uptake F and air-pipe I and other connections,forms our means for delivering the Water to the intended elevation andlocality. The air-supply pipe I supplies the air from the compressor orother source to the bottom of the column of water in the .uptake-pipe F.Preferably above ground and near the reservoir-Well is located aseparating-tank G, into Which the uptake F delivers the air and water 7oand within which the air separates from the water. By the apparatus sofar described, therefore, the water may be raised to theseparating-tank, and if this tank is at or above the level of finaldelivery no further raising of the water is of course necessary. If itbe required, however, to raise the water to a higher level and at somehorizontal distance, instead of employing the system set forth in PatentNo. 592,037, granted to us October 19, 1897, 8o which system aerateswater for the second time, we with advantage send the waterwithoutaerating it directly from the separator G to and up to the final placeof delivery, as E, through suitable piping H, preserving Within theseparator G enough air-pressure to force the water up to the point ofdelivery. Instead of wasting the compressed air in the tank G byallowing it to escape through such an escape-valve as is set forth inour said patent 9o we utilize the whole, or as much as may be desired,to effect the raising and delivery of water from the supply-Wells A tothe reservoir-well D, employing, if needed, regulatingvalves Z for eachsupply-well. The pipe L delivers the air from the separator to the gangof wells A through the branch connections C. The uptakes B deliver intothe runners or horizontal pipes M,which in turn deliver` to thereservoir-well D. The air-pipe L may also be connected, so that air maybe delivered to it from the pressure-pipe I through valve 8 to operatethe supply-wells in order to fill the reservoir-well, if necessary,before starting the reservoir-well. The valve 2, Fig. l, serves in suchcase to shut oif the air from the reservoir-well D until the latter isfilled sufficiently.

As there is a rtendency under certain conditions to Very considerableirregularities or fluctuations in the separator (if it be small orshallow and if no automatic regulating-valve is employed) we constructthe separator Gof such height that the column of water within it mayvary considerably to exert a regulating influence on the whole system byincreasing or decreasing the hydrostatic pressure due 'to the differenceof levels between the water-level in thc separator and the point offinal delivery. If theseparator is one-fifth or even one-tenth of thisheight, itsfregulating action is very effective. The utility of thisregulating-separator will be apparent from the following considerations:Supposing the difference in levels between the normal water-level iu theseparator G and the final point of ,delivery is one hundred feet, thenif the separator G is closed so as to maintain an air-pressure withinit, as illustrated, and if the water in the separator-tank should fallfour feet, owing, for example, to the pipe F delivering more air andless water, the pressure exerted on the pipe H will be diminished verylittle, if at all, and therefore the` air-pressure Within the tank willhave increased approximately two pounds. Consequently the air willdischarge more rapidly through the pipe L and tend to restore the normallevel within the separatortank G. The separator-tank will act as aregulator even if the valves 2 discharge into the atmosphere for thereasonsjust explained. If the air above the water in the tank G hasentirely free communication with the atmosphere, as would be the case ifthe tank had no top, the regulating eect would still occur, thoughobviously the point of delivery of the pipe H would have to be lowerthan the normal level in the separator-tank G, as the column in the tankG would have to act against the column of water in the pipe H andagainst the frictional resistance of water passing through the pipe H.Where water is delivered at considerable distance through a horizontalpipe, the frictional resistance is very considerable. Obviously, whenthe height of waterin the tank G rises more water will flow through thepipe H,tending to re store the normal level, and when the level in thetank G falls the rate of discharge will decrease. f

The operation of the invention in its most 'complete form, as described,is as follows:

Supposing the levels in the supply-Wells and in the reservoir-wells tobe whatever the wells are designed for, compressed air is introducedinto the air-pipe I of well D under enough pressure to force it belowthe foot of the uptake-pipe F. The amount of air supplied can thenbe'controlled by the valve 2, Fig. l, and the rate at which the water isdelivered up the uptake will vary accordingly when the full operationhas once been established. Air will escape through supply-wells Awhenthe air-pressure in the separator G is sucient to force the air down tothe bottom of' the respective uptakes B. The system balances itself Whenthe level in the separator Gis such that the water is forced freely upthe pipe H, overcoming friction, while the air passes off through pipeL, overcoming friction in pipes C and the depth of water in thesupply-wells A, and finally escaping up the uptakes B with the water.The valves Z may regulate the several wells to keep them running evenly,notwithstanding very considerable dierences in the amount of waterflowing and in the water-levels in them. The depth to which the Well Dshould be sunk may vary considerably for any given requirements, but ingeneral the depth of the foot of the uptake F below the water-level inthe well D should be about double the height of in'al delivery above theseparator plus the height of the separator above the level in the wellD. The most advantageous depth for the supply-wells, as measured fromwaterlevel to the bottom of the uptakes B, will be equal to the normaldifference between the water-level in the separator G and the finalpoint of delivery. Under such circumstances the need of restraining theflow of air from the separator by a regulating-valve is largelyobviated. As the column of water within the separator acts (when theseparator is suiiciently tall, as described) to regulate and to preventfluctuations the separator so constructed constitutes a compensator aswell as'a separator. V

Having now fully set forth our improvement in one of its most completeand preferred forms, we claim as the novel and characteristic featuresof the invention the following points and combinations:

1. In combination in a water-raising system, an air-lift well, an uptaketherefor, means for aerating the column of water in the uptake to raiseit, a separating vessel or tank to which the uptake delivers, a pipe fordelivering Water from the separating vessel or tank to a higher levelwithout aeration, and means for discharging the air from the separatingvessel or tank while maintaining the requisite pressure within the tank,the said separating vessel or tank being of such considerable heightvertically as to act as a regulator or compensator as distinguished froma mere separating vessel or tank of height incapable of effecting suchregulation or compensation, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination in a Water-raising system, an air-lift reservoir-well,an uptake IOO IIO

therefor, means for aerating the column of Water in the uptake to raiseit, a separating vessel or tank to which the uptake delivers, a pipe fordelivering Water from the separating vessel or tank to a higher levelwithout aeration, an air-pipe delivering air from the said separatingvessel or tank, one or more supply Well or wells, an uptake for each,means for carrying Water from such uptake or uptakes to the saidreservoir-Well, and oonneotions from thesaid air-pipe for delivering airto the said uptake or uptakes of the supply Well or Wells to aerate andraise the water therein, substantially as set forth.

3. In combination in a Water-raising system, an air-lift reservoir-Well, an uptake therefor, means for 'aerating the Column of water in theuptake to raise it, a separating vessel or tank to which the uptakedelivers, a pipe for delivering water from the separating vessel or tankto a higher level Without aeration, an air-pipe delivering air from thesaid separating vessel or tank, one or more supply Well or Wells, anuptake for each, means for carrying Water from suoli uptake or uptakesto the said reservoir-Well, and oonneetions from the said air-pipe fordelivering air to the said uptake or uptakes of the supply well or Wellsto aerate and raise the Water therein, the said separating vessel ortank being of considerable height to act as a regulator or Compensator,for the system, substantially as set forth.

et. In combination in a Water-raising system, a deeper air-lift Wellanda shalloWer airlift Well, an uptake in each, means fordeliveringcompressed air to the uptake of the deeper Well, means forseparating theair from the Water under pressure greater than the atmosphere, and meansfor delivering a portion at least of such air under pressure to theuptake of the shallower well, substantially as set forth.

5. In combination with a plurality of supply-Wells, a relatively deeperreservoir-Well,

to Which the said supply-Wells deliver, an uptake for the reservoir-Welland an air-pipe and connections delivering air under pressure to theuptake, a separating vessel or tank for separating under pressure theWater and air delivered from such uptake, an uptake in. each supply-Welland air connections from the separating vessel or tank to such uptakesto aerate and raise the water therein, substantially as set forth. y

6. In combination with a plurality of supply-wells, a relatively deeperreservoir-well, to which the said supply-Wells deliver, an uptake forthe reservoir-well, and an air-pipe and connections delivering air underpressure to the uptake, a separating vessel or tank for separating underpressure the Water and air delivered from such uptake, an uptake in eachsupply-wel1, and air connections from the separating vessel or tank tosuch uptakes to aerate and raise the water therein, a con neotion fromthe first said air-pipe to the supply-Wells, and regulating-valves forthe several pipes and connections, substantially as set forth.

7. In combination with a plurality of supply-Wells, a relatively deeperreservoir-Well, to which the said supply-Wells deliver, an uptake forthe reservoir-Well, and an air-pipe and connections delivering air underpressure to the uptake, a separating vessel or tank for separating underpressure the Water and air delivered from suell uptake, an uptake ineach supply-Well and air connections from the separating vessel or tankto such uptakes to aerate and raise the Water therein,andregulating-valves for adjusting the supply-Wells severally,substantially as set forth.

Signed this 22d day of November, 1898, at

New York oity.

GEORGE R. YOUNG. CLIFFORD SHAW. Witnesses:

JOHN C. WALL, HAROLD BINNEY.

